Southampton F.C.

2000–01 season
Chairman	Rupert Lowe
Manager	Glenn Hoddle (until 28 March 2001) Stuart Gray (from 30 March 2001)
Stadium	The Dell
FA Premier League	10th
FA Cup	Fifth round
League Cup	Third round
Top goalscorer	League:James Beattie (11) All: James Beattie (12)
Highest home attendance	15,252 vArsenal (19 May 2001)
Lowest home attendance	8,802 vMansfield Town (20 September 2000)
Average home league attendance	15,115
Biggest win	2–0 (multiple games) 3–1 vSheffield Wednesday (27 January 2001)
Biggest defeat	0–5 vManchester United (28 October 2000)
Home colours Away colours Third colours
← 1999–2000 2001–02 →

The2000–01Southampton F.C. season was the club's 100th season of competitive football, their 31st (and 23rd consecutive) in the top flight ofEnglish football, and their ninth in theFA Premier League. Having achieved a relatively comfortable 15th-place finish the previous season, the club built on this to finish in the top half of the league for the first time in six years, ending the season 10th in the table just as they had done in1994–95. After leading the club for the second half of the1999–2000 season,Glenn Hoddle remained Southampton manager for most of the 2000–01 campaign, although he left in March 2001 and was replaced byStuart Gray, who saw out the year. This was also the last season the club played atThe Dell before moving toSt Mary's Stadium.

Having made numerous changes to the squad after his arrival in January 2000, Hoddle signed only three new players in the summer transfer window: German strikerUwe Rösler, midfielderMark Draper, and Ivory Coast strikerPatrice Tano. Later in the season, Argentine wingerAdrian Caceres and Romanian right-backDan Petrescu also joined the club. Outgoings included left-backPatrick Colleter, centre-backRichard Dryden, and attacking midfielderTrond Egil Soltvedt. The Saints struggled in the league early on, spending a few weeks in the relegation zone; by the new year, however, they had made it up to the mid-table region, with a string of five wins ahead of Hoddle's departure taking them as high as 8th. Form dipped somewhat under temporary manager Gray.

Outside the league, Southampton reached the fifth round of theFA Cup for the first time in five seasons, but only reached the third round of theLeague Cup. In the FA Cup, the Saints beatFirst Division clubsSheffield United andSheffield Wednesday in the third and fourth rounds, respectively, edging past United with a 1–0 win and eliminating Wednesday with a 3–1 victory. In the fifth round they faced another second-flight side,Tranmere Rovers, who beat the Saints 4–3 in a replay (after a goalless draw at The Dell) by overcoming a 0–3 half-time deficit with four second-half goals. In the League Cup, the club made it pastThird Division sideMansfield Town 5–1 on aggregate over two legs, before losing 0–1 to Premier League strugglersCoventry City in the third round.

Southampton used 25 players during the 2000–01 season and had 14 different goalscorers.James Beattie finished as the club's top goalscorer for the first time with 12 goals – 11 in the league and one in the FA Cup.Wayne Bridge andClaus Lundekvam made the most appearances for the club during the campaign, both playing in all but one of the team's 45 games across all three competitions. Bridge won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award at the end of the season. The average league attendance at The Dell during 2000–01 was 15,115. The highest attendance was 15,252 againstArsenal in the final competitive game at the stadium on the closing day of the league in May; the lowest was 8,802 against Mansfield Town in the League Cup in September.

With their new stadiumSt Mary's Stadium now being built, Southampton had a relatively quiet summer transfer period ahead of the 2000–01 season. At the beginning of July, they signed German strikerUwe Rösler on a free transfer fromTennis Borussia Berlin, after the club had gone into bankruptcy.^[1] In an interview withBBC Radio Solent, Rösler credited managerGlenn Hoddle's "big plans for the club" as an important factor in his decision to move back to England after two years back playing in Germany.^[2] Two days later, the club signed another striker on a free transfer, bringing in 18-year-old Ivory Coast forwardPatrice Tano from French sideMonaco after he spent a few days with the club during their pre-season preparations.^[3] The final signing prior to the season's start was midfielderMark Draper, who joined fromAston Villa for a fee of £1.5 million.^[4] Initially priced at £2 million, Draper eventually moved for a reduced price of £1.25 million raising to £1.5 million based on appearances.^[5] Portuguese wingerLuís Boa Morte was loaned out for the whole season toFulham.^[6]

Shortly after the start of the league campaign, young strikerShayne Bradley moved toThird Division clubMansfield Town for a club record fee of £100,000, having failed to break into the top-flight side's first team.^[7] August also saw the retirement of three Saints players from professional football – left-backJohn Beresford was forced to leave due to a cruciate ligament injury suffered in the opening game of the1998–99 season, since which he had only managed to make three substitute appearances for the club;^[8] attacking midfielderDavid Hughes was forced to step down after failing to recover from a knee injury suffered in a pre-season match ahead of the1999–2000 season;^[9] and defensive midfielderDavid Howells left after nearly 18 months without an appearance, due to the recurrence of an old knee injury suffered prior to joining Southampton.^[10] In September, Argentine wingerAdrian Caceres joined from Australian sidePerth for £25,000,^[11] while centre-backRichard Dryden moved toNorthampton Town for two months in the first of two loan spells during the season.^[12]

During October, Portuguese wingerDani Rodrigues spent a few weeks on loan atBristol City in theSecond Division, before breaking his ankle and being forced to return to Southampton for rehabilitation.^[13] The next month, French left-backPatrick Colleter left Southampton on a free transfer, having failed to establish himself in the first team.^[14] He moved toCannes after a short trial, having been "openly critical" of Hoddle and being prevented from playing even for the reserve side as a result.^[15] Around the same time, new signing Patrice Tano was released due to issues with his passport and work permit, which forced him to move back to France.^[16]Stuart Ripley was loaned out toFirst Division sideBarnsley until January,^[17] while Dryden started his second loan spell – this time atSwindon Town in the Second Division.^[12] TraineeDaniel Webb was sold toSouthend United in December.^[18]

After Christmas, the club signed Romanian right-backDan Petrescu from Premier League strugglersBradford City, paying a "nominal fee" for the defender.^[19] Petrescu had originally planned to sign for the Saints fromChelsea at the beginning of the season after falling out with managerGianluca Vialli,^[20] however an £800,000 deal fell through after the defender could not agree to personal terms.^[21] The eventual move reunited Petrescu with Hoddle, under whom he had played at Chelsea a few years earlier.^[20] In February, Richard Dryden finally made a permanent move away from Southampton, sold toLuton Town in the Second Division for free.^[12] Later that month, out-of-favour midfielderTrond Egil Soltvedt was sent out on loan toSheffield Wednesday for a month, before he was signed permanently in March alongside loanee Stuart Ripley, who joined until the end of the season.^[22][23][17]

Players transferred in

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Club	Date	Fee	Ref.
Uwe Rösler	Germany	FW	Tennis Borussia Berlin	3 July 2000	Free	[1]
Patrice Tano	Ivory Coast	FW	Monaco	5 July 2000	Free	[3]
Mark Draper	England	MF	Aston Villa	17 July 2000	£1,250,000	[4]
Adrian Caceres	Argentina	MF	Perth	1 September 2000	£25,000	[11]
Dan Petrescu	Romania	DF	Bradford City	12 January 2001	Nominal	[20]

Players transferred out

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Club	Date	Fee	Ref.
Shayne Bradley	England	FW	Mansfield Town	22 August 2000	£100,000	[7]
Patrick Colleter	France	DF	Cannes	November 2000	Free	[14]
Daniel Webb	England	DF	Southend United	4 December 2000	£10,000	[18]
Richard Dryden	England	DF	Luton Town	2 February 2001	Free	[12]
Matthew Davies	England	DF	Woking	2 March 2001	Free	[24]
Trond Egil Soltvedt	Norway	MF	Sheffield Wednesday	22 March 2001	Nominal	[23]

Players loaned out

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Club	Date from	Date to	Ref.
Luís Boa Morte	Portugal	MF	Fulham	30 July 2000	End of season	[6]
Richard Dryden	England	DF	Northampton Town	9 September 2000	9 November 2000	[12]
Dani Rodrigues	Portugal	MF	Bristol City	2 October 2000	25 October 2000	[13]
Stuart Ripley	England	MF	Barnsley	8 November 2000	16 January 2001	[17]
Richard Dryden	England	DF	Swindon Town	21 November 2000	26 January 2001	[12]
Trond Egil Soltvedt	Norway	MF	Sheffield Wednesday	12 February 2001	21 March 2001	[23]
Stuart Ripley	England	MF	Sheffield Wednesday	22 March 2001	End of season	[17]

Players released

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Date	Details	Ref.
Patrice Tano	Ivory Coast	FW	November 2000	Released due to work permit issues, subsequently joined Belgian sideBeveren	[16]

Players retired

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Date	Details	Ref.
John Beresford	England	DF	August 2000	Retired due to a cruciate ligament injury, later played for several non-league clubs	[8]
David Hughes	England	MF	August 2000	Retired due to a knee injury, later worked as a coach and manager	[9]
David Howells	England	MF	August 2000	Retired due to a knee injury, later played for several non-league clubs	[10]

Ahead of the 2000–01 season, Southampton played seven pre-seasonfriendlies. The first saw the Saints travel toHuish Park to faceConference sideYeovil Town in a testimonial for goalkeeperTony Pennock.^[25] The top-flight visitors won the match 2–0, withMarians Pahars opening the scoring after 11 minutes with a header from aMatt Le Tissier cross, beforeJames Beattie made it two just after the half-time break with a header from aHassan Kachloul corner.^[26] Four days later, the club played another testimonial, forBournemouth midfielderRussell Beardsmore.^[25] TheSecond Division hosts opened the scoring after just two minutes through guest playerRyan Giggs, before going 2–0 up within nine minutes throughChukki Eribenne.^[27] Ten minutes before the break, Beattie pulled one back for the Saints, beforeKevin Gibbens scored after just five minutes on as a substitute to make it 2–2; the score remained level, although it was reported by theSouthern Daily Echo that the Premier League side "could have had six in the second half".^[27]

In their third pre-season game, Southampton lost 1–3 at Second Division sideSwindon Town.^[25] Beattie scored the only goal of the game for the visitors, taking his tally to three in three during pre-season.^[28] Against another third-flight side two days later, the Saints drew 1–1 withReading at theMadejski Stadium.^[25] Home debutantKeith Jones opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a "spectacular volley", and it took the visitors until "virtually the last kick of the game" to equalise, with substituteGarry Monk tapping in from close range.^[29] Another draw followed in the next game againstFirst Division sideGillingham, with goalkeeperNeil Moss making numerous saves – including a penalty – to keep a clean sheet in the goalless draw.^[30] The Saints picked up their first win over league opponents a few days later, beating First Division sideWolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 atMolineux Stadium.^[25] After going behind within three minutes, the Saints responded in the 18th minute when Kachloul set up Pahars, before the Latvian returned the favour and set up the Moroccan just after the break for a second goal.^[31] The final pre-season game, and only one atThe Dell, saw the Saints lose 1–2 to Spanish sideReal Sociedad, with Pahars scoring the consolation for the hosts.^[25]

Yeovil Town v Southampton

21 July 2000Tony Pennock Testimonial	Yeovil Town	0–2	Southampton	Yeovil
19:45BST			Pahars 11' Beattie 49'	Stadium:Huish Park Attendance: 2,471

Bournemouth v Southampton

25 July 2000Russell Beardsmore Testimonial	Bournemouth	2–2	Southampton	Bournemouth
	Giggs 2' Eribenne 9'		Beattie 35' Gibbens 37'	Stadium:Dean Court Attendance: 6,398 Referee: Darren Spicer

Swindon Town v Southampton

27 July 2000Friendly	Swindon Town	3–1	Southampton	Swindon
			Beattie	Stadium:County Ground

Reading v Southampton

29 July 2000Friendly	Reading	1–1	Southampton	Reading
	Jones 21'		Monk 90'	Stadium:Madejski Stadium Attendance: 5,916 Referee: Lee Cable

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton

5 August 2000Friendly	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–2	Southampton	Wolverhampton
	Sinton 3'		Pahars 18' Kachloul 53'	Stadium:Molineux Stadium

Southampton vReal Sociedad

12 August 2000Friendly	Southampton	1–2	Real Sociedad	Southampton
	Pahars			Stadium:The Dell

Southampton's 2000–01 season started poorly, as they picked up just three points from their first five fixtures, starting second from bottom of the Premier League table.^[32] On the opening day, the club lost an early two-goal lead gained by aHassan Kachloul brace to draw 2–2 withDerby County, with Kachloul coming close to completing a hat-trick in injury time.^[33] After losing 1–2 at home toCoventry City the next week, the Saints overcame a three-goal deficit againstLiverpool to gain a point in a 3–3 draw, with goals fromTahar El Khalej andMarians Pahars in the last five minutes securing the point.^[33] A draw and a loss atCharlton Athletic andLeicester City, respectively, were followed by the side's first two victories, as they beat 3rd-placeNewcastle United 2–0 at home (courtesy of a Pahars double) andBradford City 1–0 atValley Parade (courtesy of an own goal).^[34]

Despite climbing up to 8th in the table on the back of their first two wins of the campaign,^[35] Southampton quickly dropped in form again, picking up just one point from their next four games, in a 1–1 draw withEverton.^[34] The run culminated in the club's heaviest defeat of the season, as they lost 0–5 to reigning championsManchester United atOld Trafford, withAndy Cole scoring twice andTeddy Sheringham completing a hat-trick.^[34] Now back in the relegation zone, the Saints beat top six sideChelsea 3–2 the next week, withJames Beattie securing all three points with a "thunderous" free-kick in injury time, after Chelsea had fought back from a two-goal deficit late on.^[34] Beattie scored again in a 2–2 draw atSunderland, then added another two in a two-minute spell againstAston Villa, which decided the game.^[34] In December, all charges against former managerDave Jones, which had led to his initially temporary leave of absence, were dropped.^[36] He did not return to Southampton, however, asGlenn Hoddle had been given a permanent contract.^[33]

After winning both of their games with clean sheets between Christmas and new year (2–0 againstTottenham Hotspur and 1–0 against Derby County), Southampton sat 12th in the Premier League table.^[37] They started 2001 with a loss atAnfield, however, with a lateMarkus Babbel header breaking a deadlock for a 2–1 Liverpool win.^[38] Two goalless draws followed, before a 1–0 win at home to Leicester City in whichDan Petrescu scored the only goal of the game in his full debut since joining a few weeks earlier.^[38] The victory marked the start of Southampton's best run of form all season, as they won five games in a row without conceding a single goal – after Leicester, the Saints beat four teams in the bottom six of the table: 2–0 against Bradford City (Pahars and Beattie scored), 1–0 away at both Middlesbrough (Mark Draper with his only goal of the season) and Manchester City (Petrescu scoring again), and 1–0 at home to Everton (thanks to aJo Tessem strike).^[38] After the run, the club had climbed to 8th in the table, three points off the top five.^[39]

In late-March, shortly afterGeorge Graham was sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager,^[40] Hoddle left Southampton after holding talks to take over the vacated role at his former club.^[41] He was confirmed as the new Tottenham boss on 30 March, claiming that "It wasn't an easy decision to leave Southampton because I have put in a lot of hard work".^[42] Former Saints midfielderStuart Gray, who had worked as first-team coach under Hoddle, took over the same day as caretaker manager for the remainder of the season.^[43]

Gray's tenure as Southampton manager started poorly, as the club lost their first three games under his management and dropped back down into the bottom half of the Premier League table. After not conceding a goal since New Year's Day, they lost 0–3 at home toIpswich Town, who were third in the league at the time, at the start of April.^[38] All three goals were scored byMarcus Stewart, the club's top scorer, with club historians describing the Saints as being "out-passed, out-classed and manoeuvred".^[38] Another defeat without scoring followed five days later, as 4th-place Leeds United beat the Saints 2–0 atElland Road with goals fromHarry Kewell andRobbie Keane either side of the break.^[38] 6th-placed Chelsea followed suit the next week atStamford Bridge, withGus Poyet scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win just before half-time.^[44] The Saints were now 12th in the league.^[45]

The team picked up their first point under the new manager with a goalless draw at Aston Villa, followed after a 0–1 home loss to Sunderland (in which Beattie saw a goal "wrongly ruled offside", according to club historians) by a 1–1 draw with Newcastle United, the point saved by Marians Pahars in the last ten minutes of the game.^[44] The club dropped down to 13th with a 0–3 loss at West Ham United in their final away game.^[46] Their final two fixtures of the season took place at The Dell, marking the final competitive games at the stadium before it was closed down. In the first, Southampton beat Manchester United (who were winning their third consecutive Premier League title) 2–1, with aWes Brown own goal and a Pahars goal putting the hosts 2–0 up within half an hour (Ryan Giggs scored a consolation late in the second half).^[44] The win saw the club jump up to 10th in the league table.^[47]

In the final game of the season and final competitive game at The Dell, the Saints faced Arsenal who were finishing the league as runners-up to United.Ashley Cole gave the Gunners a 1–0 lead at half-time, but straight after the break Hassan Kachloul pulled one back.Freddie Ljungberg soon put the visitors back in front, before Kachloul responded quickly again to make it 2–2. Despite looking like it would finish a draw, the game was decided in the penultimate minute whenMatt Le Tissier – making only his 8th appearance in the league campaign – scored a left-foot volley to give the hosts all three points.^[44] Fans and commentators described it as "fitting" for club captain and "legend" Le Tissier to score the last competitive goal at The Dell.^[44][48] Southampton's 10th-place finish gave them their best league result since the1994–95 season under managerAlan Ball, when they finished in the same position.^[44]

Derby County v Southampton

19 August 20001	Derby County	2–2	Southampton	Derby
15:00BST	Blatsis 12' Strupar 31' Burton 48'	Report	Kachloul 15',22' El Khalej	Stadium:Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 27,223 Referee:Andy D'Urso

Southampton vCoventry City

23 August 20002	Southampton	1–2	Coventry City	Southampton
19:45BST	Davies 10' El Khalej 19' Lundekvam 36' Tessem 52' Kachloul 67' Rösler 70'	Report	Bellamy 19' (pen.), 22' Palmer 29' Williams 29' Roussel 61'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,801 Referee:Paul Taylor

Southampton vLiverpool

26 August 20003	Southampton	3–3	Liverpool	Southampton
15:00BST	Pahars 73',90+2' El Khalej 85'	Report	Owen 24',64' Hyppiä 55'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,202 Referee:Jeff Winter

Charlton Athletic v Southampton

6 September 20004	Charlton Athletic	1–1	Southampton	London
20:00BST	Brown 26'  59' Rufus 32' Kishishev 68' Johansson 82'	Report	Rösler 56' Draper 64' Marsden 68' Pahars 79'	Stadium:The Valley Attendance: 20,043 Referee:Mark Halsey

Leicester City v Southampton

9 September 20005	Leicester City	1–0	Southampton	Leicester
15:00BST	Taggart 66'	Report		Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 18,366 Referee:Mike Dean

Southampton vNewcastle United

16 September 20006	Southampton	2–0	Newcastle United	Southampton
15:00BST	Pahars 47',61'	Report		Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,221 Referee:Barry Knight

Bradford City v Southampton

23 September 20007	Bradford City	0–1	Southampton	Bradford
15:00BST	Petrescu 45' Ward 56' Windass 89'	Report	Halle 29' (o.g.) Dodd 90'	Stadium:Valley Parade Attendance: 16,163 Referee:Steve Dunn

Southampton vMiddlesbrough

30 September 20008	Southampton	1–3	Middlesbrough	Southampton
15:00BST	Kachloul 71' Pahars 81' Beattie 89'	Report	Bokšić 17',82' Festa 32' O'Neill 62' Karembeu 69'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,903 Referee:Graham Poll

Everton v Southampton

14 October 20009	Everton	1–1	Southampton	Liverpool
15:00BST	Gascoigne 8' Ball 81' (pen.)	Report	Kachloul 14' Marsden 14' Davies 52' Dodd 76'	Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 29,491 Referee:David Elleray

Southampton vManchester City

23 October 200010	Southampton	0–2	Manchester City	Southampton
20:00BST	El Khalej 57'	Report	Dickov 38', 90' Howey 55' Tiatto 90+1'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,056 Referee:Alan Wiley

Manchester United v Southampton

28 October 200011	Manchester United	5–0	Southampton	Manchester
15:00GMT	Cole 9',73' Sheringham 45',51',55'	Report		Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 67,581 Referee:Andy D'Urso

Southampton vChelsea

4 November 200012	Southampton	3–2	Chelsea	Southampton
15:00GMT	Beattie 3',90+1', 31' Pahars 32' Tessem 37' Marsden 45' El Khalej 70'	Report	Wise 45', 69' Leboeuf 50' Poyet 78'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,236 Referee:Jeff Winter

Sunderland v Southampton

11 November 200013	Sunderland	2–2	Southampton	Sunderland
15:00GMT	Quinn 23' Thome 71' Hutchison 80'	Report	Beattie 12' Lundekvam 68' Richards 89'	Stadium:Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,064 Referee:Mike Dean

Southampton vAston Villa

18 November 200014	Southampton	2–0	Aston Villa	Southampton
15:00GMT	Beattie 22',24'	Report		Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,979 Referee:Peter Jones

Southampton vWest Ham United

25 November 200015	Southampton	2–3	West Ham United	Southampton
15:00GMT	El Khalej 12' Oakley 20' Beattie 53'	Report	Winterburn 16' Štimac 32' Kanouté 41' Pearce 43' Sinclair 69'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,232 Referee:Steve Bennett

Arsenal v Southampton

2 December 200016	Arsenal	1–0	Southampton	London
15:00GMT	Lundekvam 85' (o.g.)	Report	Davies 38' Kachloul 57'	Stadium:Arsenal Stadium Attendance: 38,036 Referee:Steve Dunn

Southampton vLeeds United

9 December 200017	Southampton	1–0	Leeds United	Southampton
15:00GMT	Beattie 43' Oakley 74' Kachloul 81'  85' Draper 85'	Report	Bakke 13' Woodgate 77' Dacourt 80' Smith	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,225 Referee:Paul Durkin

Ipswich Town v Southampton

16 December 200018	Ipswich Town	3–1	Southampton	Ipswich
15:00GMT	Scowcroft 48' Armstrong 51' Venus 59' Bridge 90' (o.g.)	Report	Beattie 3' Davies 35' Dodd 47'	Stadium:Portman Road Attendance: 22,228 Referee:Barry Knight

Coventry City v Southampton

22 December 200019	Coventry City	1–1	Southampton	Coventry
19:45GMT	Thompson 33', 75'	Report	Draper 37' Tessem 51'	Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 18,090 Referee:Alan Wiley

Southampton vTottenham Hotspur

27 December 200020	Southampton	2–0	Tottenham Hotspur	Southampton
20:00GMT	Beattie 38' Davies 40' El Khalej 75'	Report	Clemence 18' Campbell 20' Anderton 72'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,237 Referee:David Elleray

Southampton vDerby County

30 December 200021	Southampton	1–0	Derby County	Southampton
15:00GMT	Beattie 73'	Report	Johnson 73' Burley 89'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,075 Referee:Andy D'Urso

Liverpool v Southampton

1 January 200122	Liverpool	2–1	Southampton	Liverpool
15:00GMT	Gerrard 12' Babbel 86'	Report	Soltvedt 20' Rösler 90'	Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 38,474 Referee:Dermot Gallagher

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton

20 January 200124	Tottenham Hotspur	0–0	Southampton	London
15:00GMT		Report	Richards 82'	Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,095 Referee: Clive Wilkes

Southampton vLeicester City

31 January 200125	Southampton	1–0	Leicester City	Southampton
19:45GMT	Petrescu 79'	Report	Guppy 28' Elliott 59' Izzet 86'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,909 Referee:Steve Bennett

Southampton vBradford City

10 February 200126	Southampton	2–0	Bradford City	Southampton
15:00GMT	Pahars 60' Beattie 63'	Report	Windass 86'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,651 Referee:Graham Poll

Middlesbrough v Southampton

24 February 200127	Middlesbrough	0–1	Southampton	Middlesbrough
15:00GMT	Ince 53'	Report	Draper 49'	Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 28,725 Referee:Neale Barry

Manchester City v Southampton

3 March 200128	Manchester City	0–1	Southampton	Manchester
15:00GMT	Howey 84'	Report	El Khalej 27' Petrescu 55'	Stadium:Maine Road Attendance: 33,990 Referee:Jeff Winter

Southampton vEverton

17 March 200129	Southampton	1–0	Everton	Southampton
15:00GMT	Tessem 58' Bridge 82' Beattie 85'	Report	Pistone 90'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,251 Referee:Mark Halsey

Southampton vIpswich Town

2 April 200130	Southampton	0–3	Ipswich Town	Southampton
20:00BST	Beattie 37' Le Tissier 87'	Report	Stewart 33',68',71' (pen.) Reuser 59'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,244 Referee:Alan Wiley

Leeds United v Southampton

7 April 200131	Leeds United	2–0	Southampton	Leeds
15:00BST	Kewell 10' Keane 72'	Report		Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 39,267 Referee:Jeff Winter

Chelsea v Southampton

14 April 200132	Chelsea	1–0	Southampton	London
15:00BST	Terry 23' Poyet 43' Jokanović 61' Melchiot 84'	Report	Beattie 6' Draper 67' Tessem 74'	Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 35,136 Referee: Clive Wilkes

Aston Villa v Southampton

21 April 200133	Aston Villa	0–0	Southampton	Birmingham
15:00BST	Hendrie 43'	Report	Draper 7' Davies 33'	Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 29,336 Referee:Jeff Winter

Southampton vSunderland

28 April 200134	Southampton	0–1	Sunderland	Southampton
15:00BST	Davies 85' Kachloul 90'	Report	Kilbane 54' Hutchison 64'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,249 Referee:Alan Wiley

Newcastle United v Southampton

1 May 200135	Newcastle United	1–1	Southampton	Newcastle upon Tyne
20:00BST	Gallacher 26' LuaLua 38' Speed 71'	Report	Davies 34' Pahars 81'	Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 50,439 Referee:Stephen Lodge

West Ham United v Southampton

5 May 200136	West Ham United	3–0	Southampton	London
15:00BST	Pearce 34' Foxe 57' Cole 59' Di Canio 70' Kanouté 90'	Report	Lundekvam 12' Davies 35'	Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 26,041 Referee: Clive Wilkes

Southampton vManchester United

13 May 200137	Southampton	2–1	Manchester United	Southampton
15:00BST	Brown 11' (o.g.) Pahars 15' Marsden 68'	Report	Johnsen 27' Giggs 71'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,246 Referee:Jeff Winter

Southampton vArsenal

19 May 200138	Southampton	3–2	Arsenal	Southampton
15:00BST	Davies 18' Kachloul 46',61' Le Tissier 89'	Report	Cole 28', 47' Vieira 45' Ljungberg 54'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,252 Referee:Paul Taylor

Southampton entered the 2000–01 FA Cup in the third round againstFirst Division sideSheffield United. The top-flight hosts came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, withJo Tessem,Kevin Davies andJames Beattie all failing to convert chances at various points.^[49] The second half started in much the same way, which eventually resulted in the Saints winning a penalty when Beattie was brought down by goalkeeperSimon Tracey. The penalty was converted byJason Dodd, after whichBobby Ford was sent off amongst protests by the visitors against the spot kick.^[49] Southampton held on and progressed to the fourth round, where they were drawn at home again to another First Division side, Sheffield United's closest rivalsSheffield Wednesday. The Saints took the lead early on through Davies, who headed in a rebound from his own half-volley saved byKevin Pressman.^[49] Wednesday responded strongly and eventually equalised shortly after the hour mark, whenAndy Booth headed in a long throw-in to make it 1–1.^[50] The tide turned again late in the game, when a Booth handball led to a penalty for the Saints, which Dodd again converted for 2–1, before Beattie completed a win with a header in the last minute.^[50]

A third First Division side awaited Southampton in the fifth round, as the Saints facedTranmere Rovers at The Dell. The hosts appeared to have opened the scoring after 11 minutes whenDean Richards headed in from a corner, however it was judged to be offside and disallowed.^[50] Another offside decision prevented a goal for the Saints around 20 minutes later, whenHassan Kachloul scored from aMarians Pahars pass, and the sides ultimately went into half-time goalless.^[50] Southampton continued to dominate after the break, but were unable to make any of their efforts count and it ended 0–0, forcing a replay atPrenton Park three days later.^[50] Southampton started the replay in much the same way as they had finished the initial tie, with Kachloul opening the scoring in the 12th minute with "the sweetest of shots into the top corner".^[51] Within 15 minutes it was 2–0 through Tessem, and on the stroke of half-time Richards made it three to give the visitors a huge advantage.^[51] Despite the three-goal deficit, Tranmere staged "one of the most dramatic comebacks in FA Cup history" in the second half to beat the Saints 4–3.^[52] The comeback started with a hat-trick scored within a 21-minute period by former Saints strikerPaul Rideout, who scored his first two from a corner and his third from a free-kick to draw level.^[51] In the last ten minutes, shortly after Rideout's third goal, Tranmere secured a winner whenStuart Barlow converted a cross from Rideout.^[51]

Southampton vSheffield United

6 January 2001Round 3	Southampton	1–0	Sheffield United	Southampton
	Tahar El Khalej 67' Dodd 73' (pen.)		Montgomery 44' Ford 74' Uhlenbeek 88'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,158 Referee:David Elleray

Southampton vSheffield Wednesday

27 January 2001Round 4	Southampton	3–1	Sheffield Wednesday	Southampton
	Davies 11' Dodd 80' (pen.) Beattie 90'		Hendon 52' Booth 66' Sibon 79'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,251 Referee: Clive Wilkes

Southampton vTranmere Rovers

17 February 2001Round 5	Southampton	0–0	Tranmere Rovers	Southampton
			Barlow 90'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,232 Referee:Steve Dunn

Tranmere Rovers v Southampton

20 February 2001Round 5 Replay	Tranmere Rovers	4–3	Southampton	Birkenhead
	Rideout 59',71',80' Barlow 81', 83'		Kachloul 12' Beattie 22' Tessem 26' Richards 45' Marsden 80'	Stadium:Prenton Park Attendance: 12,910 Referee:Steve Dunn

Southampton entered the 2000–01 League Cup in the second round againstMansfield Town of theThird Division. The Saints beat the Stags 5–1 on aggregate over two legs, withJo Tessem andMatt Le Tissier securing a 2–0 win at The Dell, beforeUwe Rösler andTrond Egil Soltvedt (two) added a 3–1 victory atField Mill.^[53] They faced fellow Premier League sideCoventry City in the third round, losing 0–1 after a single goal fromJohn Eustace late in extra time, despite enjoying the majority of chances on goal.^[53]

Southampton vMansfield Town

20 September 2000Round 2 Leg 1	Southampton	2–0	Mansfield Town	Southampton
	Tessem 36' Le Tissier 67' Ripley 77'		Clarke 89'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 8,802 Referee:Peter Walton

Mansfield Town v Southampton

26 September 2000Round 2 Leg 2	Mansfield Town	1–3 (1–5agg.)	Southampton	Mansfield
	Clarke 55'		Rösler 32' Soltvedt 44',65' Marsden 88'	Stadium:Field Mill Attendance: 3,528 Referee:Anthony Bates

Southampton vCoventry City

1 November 2000Round 3	Southampton	0–1 (a.e.t.)	Coventry City	Southampton
	Kachloul 90'		Quinn 70' Eustace 119'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 11,809 Referee:Steve Dunn

Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played four additional matches during the 2000–01 season – two in the final stages of the campaign, two just after its conclusion.^[25] The first two took place in March against French sideLe Havre, reportedly as a mechanism for managerGlenn Hoddle to "look at seniors returning to fitness and youngsters hoping to press their claims" during the final stages of the season.^[54] In the first tie, atStade Jules Deschaseaux, the Saints broke the deadlock after just seven minutes whenUwe Rösler scored a "crisp drive"; however, goals either side of half-time fromThierry De Neef and Laurent Ciechelski put the hosts in front, before they secured a 3–1 win in the last minute courtesy of Patrick Revelles.^[54] Southampton lost the return fixture atThe Dell by the same margin, with goals either side of the break fromThomas Deniaud andKarim Kerkar giving Le Havre the 2–0 win.^[55] Hoddle cancelled a plan weekend off for the players after the double loss, calling them "silly lads".^[56]

Three days after the end of the Premier League campaign, the Saints hosted a testimonial for right-backJason Dodd against a team put together by kit manager Malcolm "Woggy" Taylor dubbed Woggy's Wanderers.^[25] Featuring a rotating cast of players on either side, the game ended in a 3–1 win to Taylor's side, with goals scored by former Saints playersSteve Davis andNicky Banger in the first half, followed by guestDean Gaffney just before the end, who scored against goalkeeperMatt Le Tissier after a penalty by chairmanRupert Lowe had hit the crossbar.^[57]Russell Osman, who had retired from playing in 1996, scored the sole goal for the Saints just after half-time.^[57] The final game took place four days later, as Southampton hostedBrighton & Hove Albion (who had just won theThird Division title) for the final game at The Dell before its closure.^[25] The hosts won the friendly 1–0, withUwe Rösler scoring the only goal of the game in the 13th minute.^[58] The game ended prematurely when home fans started a pitch invasion.^[58]

Le Havre v Southampton

6 March 2001Friendly	Le Havre	3–1	Southampton	Le Havre,France
	De Neef 43' Ciechelski 50' Revelles 90'		Rösler 7'	Stadium:Stade Jules Deschaseaux

Southampton vLe Havre

9 March 2001Friendly	Southampton	0–2	Le Havre	Southampton
			Deniaud 24' Kerkar 49'	Stadium:The Dell

Southampton v Woggy's Wanderers

22 May 2001Jason Dodd Testimonial	Southampton	1–3	Woggy's Wanderers	Southampton
	Osman 47'		Davis 15' Banger 24' Gaffney 88'	Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 10,583 Referee: Darren Spicer

Southampton vBrighton & Hove Albion

26 May 2001Friendly	Southampton	1–0	Brighton & Hove Albion	Southampton
	Rösler 13'			Stadium:The Dell Referee: Steve Tomlin

Southampton used 25 players during the 2000–01 season, 14 of whom scored during the campaign.^[59] Five players made their debut appearances for the club, including three of their five first team signings (Mark Draper,^[4]Dan Petrescu,^[20] andUwe Rösler^[1]), one player signed the previous season (Imants Bleidelis^[60]), and one player making the step up from youth to the first team (Ryan Ashford^[61]). One of these – Ashford^[61] – also made his last appearance for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departeeTrond Egil Soltvedt.^[23] DefendersWayne Bridge andClaus Lundekvam made the most appearances during the season, playing in all but one of the club's 46 games.^[59]James Beattie finished as the club's top goalscorer for the first time, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.^[59] Bridge won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award.^[44]

No.	Name	Pos.	Nat.	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total		Discipline
				Apps.	Goals	Apps.	Goals	Apps.	Goals	Apps.	Goals
1	Paul Jones	GK		35	0	4	0	3	0	42	0	0	0
2	Jason Dodd	DF		29(2)	1	3	2	3	0	35(2)	3	2	0
4	Chris Marsden	MF		19(4)	0	2	0	2	0	23(4)	0	6	0
5	Claus Lundekvam	DF		38	0	4	0	2(1)	0	44(1)	0	3	0
6	Dean Richards	DF		28	1	3(1)	1	2	0	33(1)	2	1	0
7	Matt Le Tissier	MF		2(6)	1	0	0	2	1	4(6)	2	1	0
8	Matt Oakley	MF		35	1	3	0	2(1)	0	40(1)	1	1	0
9	Mark Draper	MF		16(6)	1	3(1)	0	1	0	20(7)	1	5	0
10	Kevin Davies	FW		21(6)	1	2	1	1	0	24(6)	2	9	0
11	Uwe Rösler	FW		6(14)	0	0(2)	0	1(1)	1	7(17)	1	3	0
13	Neil Moss	GK		3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
15	Francis Benali	DF		0(4)	0	0	0	0	0	0(4)	0	0	0
16	James Beattie	FW		29(8)	11	4	1	2	0	35(8)	12	6	0
17	Marians Pahars	FW		26(5)	9	4	0	1(1)	0	31(6)	9	1	0
18	Wayne Bridge	DF		38	0	4	0	2(1)	0	44(1)	0	1	0
19	Dani Rodrigues	MF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
20	Tahar El Khalej	DF		25(7)	1	1(1)	0	1(2)	0	27(10)	1	7	0
21	Jo Tessem	MF		27(6)	4	3(1)	1	2	1	32(7)	6	1	0
24	Dan Petrescu	DF		8(1)	2	0	0	0	0	8(1)	2	0	0
25	Garry Monk	DF		2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
26	Imants Bleidelis	MF		0(1)	0	0(1)	0	1(1)	0	1(3)	0	0	0
27	Scott Bevan	GK		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
28	Kevin Gibbens	MF		1(2)	0	1	0	0	0	2(2)	0	0	0
29	Paul Hughes	MF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
30	Hassan Kachloul	MF		26(6)	4	2(1)	1	1	0	29(7)	5	6	1
31	Ryan Ashford	DF		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
33	Phil Warner	DF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
12	Richard Dryden	DF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
23	Patrice Tano	FW		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
24	Patrick Colleter	DF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
32	Trond Egil Soltvedt	MF		3(3)	1	1	0	2	2	6(3)	3	0	0
Squad members who ended the season out on loan
14	Stuart Ripley	MF		1(2)	0	0	0	1	0	2(2)	0	1	0
35	Luís Boa Morte	MF		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

• Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003), Bull, David (ed.),In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing,ISBN 0-9534474-3-X

• Southampton F.C. official website

• Southampton F.C. seasons
• English football clubs 2000–01 season
• 2000–01 FA Premier League by team

• Use dmy dates from October 2024
• Articles with short description
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